


The deadline

by Abraham



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:55:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28516050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abraham/pseuds/Abraham
Summary: Higgins has 73 minutes to save Thomas' life.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Comments: 39
Kudos: 198





	1. Chapter 1

Juliet was furious. She raced along the highway toward the address T.C. had texted her.

He had called to tell her that Thomas was missing. Thomas was supposed to meet him and Rick, but never showed up. T.C. said he thought it had something to do with a new case Thomas was working on.

Juliet was furious with Thomas because he hadn’t asked for her help.

She was furious with Ethan for saying that she always put Thomas first. Whether it was to work a case or stop for a beer or really anything. But it was Thomas. He was her best friend, even if she hadn’t actually told him that ever. Ethan just needed to understand that. Or maybe he didn’t, and this was just the push she needed to finally end the relationship that she felt was going nowhere.

Mostly she was furious with herself. She hadn’t answered Thomas’ call last night. She hadn’t noticed that Thomas had been distracted lately. She hadn’t been there for him when he needed her most.

She screeched to a halt at the front of the building. T.C. was standing outside.

“What’s significant about this building?” she asked running over to him. “Have you heard anything?”

“Higgy. I need to tell you something.”

Juliet’s stomach dropped and for a moment she thought she would pass out. She couldn’t lose Thomas. Not now. Not ever. Especially not before he knew how important he was to her.

“Is he …” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘dead.’

“No!” T.C. said, reaching out to steady her. “But it’s bad.”

When he turned toward the building, Higgins could see Thomas inside the lobby. Her immediate relief was replaced with terror when she realized what she was looking at. 

“A bomb! He has a bomb strapped to his chest! Where’s the bomb squad? They need to do something.”

She pulled away from T.C. and ran into the building, pushing past the HPD officers. 

“Hey! You can’t be in here.”

“Let her in,” Katsumoto said. “Higgins. The bomb squad is figuring out what our next step should be. We are doing everything we can to make sure Thomas is safe.”

She looked over toward Thomas. His eyes locked onto hers with such intensity she could barely breathe.

“Hey.”

“Thomas!” Her eyes started to fill with tears.

“It’s OK Higgy.”

“It’s not OK. You have a bomb … and I can’t help you.”

“You’re helping me by being here.” He reached for her hand, gripping it, using her strength to settle him.

“What happened?”

24 hours earlier

Thomas and Higgins had argued. Nothing serious. She had been asking about a background check he was supposed to be working on. He had put it on the backburner because something else had come up. He could tell something was bothering her, but instead of telling her about the suspicious calls he had been receiving, he pushed her buttons and she stalked off mumbling about him being irresponsible.

He was annoyed that she left to meet Ethan, so he wasn’t paying attention when he left Robin’s Nest. The car slammed into the Ferrari before he had time to react. When he woke up, the bomb was strapped to his chest and he was in the lobby of a building in downtown Honolulu.

“I don’t really remember anything between the accident and waking up here,” he said.

She was kneeling next to him now, still holding his hand.

“You were working on the background check, but I don’t think that has anything to do with this,” she said.

“No. I don’t either. I’ve been getting these strange calls for the past month.”

Her eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’ve been looking into it. Plus you’ve been busy.”

“Thomas.” She squeezed his hand. “What were the calls about?”

“They were hangups at first, but then the caller started calling me a traitor. I had Katsumoto try to trace them, but they never lasted long enough.”

“What about the number?”

“Nothing there either. It’s a burner. About a week ago, some notes were delivered to the house. None of it can tell me who is behind this though,” he had looked down at the bomb.

The timer was on the front and they could both see it continually ticking off the seconds.

“The bomb squad said they need a code to stop it or they risk detonating the whole thing early,” Thomas said.

“I can find the code.”

“Higgy …”

“I can. You know I can figure this out Thomas. I have to try.”

She leaned forward, gently cupped his face, and kissed him.

“Higgins,” he leaned his forehead against hers and covered her hands with his. “It’s OK if this doesn’t, you know, if you can’t find the code.”

“It will work.”

“OK, but no matter what. I just want you to know that I love you.”

She looked up at him. “Thomas.”

“No. I know. You’re with Ethan. But Higgy, you are my best friend and I’m so thankful that you came into my life.”

“Thomas. You really better mean what you’re telling me!”

He smiled at her.

“I have to go,” she said, reluctantly pulling her hands away and standing up. 

His warm eyes searched hers. Telling her that everything was OK. She could barely stand the intensity of his gaze.”

She leaned down and quickly kissed him again and then ran out the door.

“You have 73 minutes until this bomb goes off,” the technician shouted after her.

“Take care of him,” she said as she passed Katsumoto. “I’ll be back.”


	2. Racing against time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Higgins is sure she can figure out the code, but is there more to the story?

Higgins wasted 20 precious minutes racing back to Robin’s Nest. She flew into Thomas’ house.

She rarely spent any time in his bedroom, but found the notes on the nightstand. They really didn’t tell her anything. “I’m watching you.” “I know what you did.” “You can’t get away.” One of the notes appeared to be written on the back of a receipt, but no store name was visible.

Higgins was turning to leave the room when she saw a picture propped up on Thomas’ desk. It was taken on the day of their wedding, or rather her wedding to T.C. Even after she had called everything off, they had all stayed to enjoy the “reception.” She had already paid for the food so they figured they might as well eat. She had never seen this picture. It was of her and Thomas. She was laughing at something and Thomas was smiling at her. To anyone else looking at the picture, they would have figured it was two people on their wedding day, totally in love. Was that really love she saw in Thomas’ smile? She didn’t have time to think about it now. But when this was over, they really needed to figure a few things out. Actually, she really needed to figure a few things out. Impulsively, she grabbed the picture and took it with her.

She ran into her office and fired up her laptop. She was down to 45 minutes. She ran the phone number Thomas had given her through all of her usual methods. Nothing happened at first, but then the number pinged at a location near Waikiki Beach. She’s not sure why she got the signal, but maybe the gods were finally smiling down on her. Maybe this was a sign. She called Katsumoto.

“Gordon! The phone number pinged in Waikiki. Can you send someone? I’ll send you the exact coordinates.”

“I’m on it.”

“Call me as soon as you know something. I’m heading back to Honolulu. Is, is Thomas OK?”

“He’s hanging in there. Rick’s with him.”

“OK, good.”

She was in the car racing back to Thomas when Gordon called back.

“Did you find anything?”

“Nothing. The coordinates led us to an abandoned portion of the beach. Whoever had the phone must has gotten rid of it there.”

Higgins hung up the phone and slammed her hands against the steering wheel. Tears of frustration burned in her eyes. She couldn’t let Thomas down. She couldn’t lose him.

Traffic bogged down and she was stuck. The day couldn’t get any worse. She pulled the notes from her pocket. She read them again and turned them over. The one written on the receipt looked like it could be from one of hundreds of ABC stores on the island. There was a date and a time stamp and she could barely make out the street name. Kalakaua Ave.? She called Gordon again.

“Try this,” she said, as soon as he answered. The seconds were ticking away. They were down to 31 minutes at this point.

“Pull video from all the ABC stores on Kalakaua Ave. on Dec. 15 around 10:13 a.m.”

“Ok.”

“I know it’s a long shot, but it’s the only thing we have at this point. See if anyone is recognizable.”

Somehow, Katsumoto managed to argue his way in without a warrant, yelling about a life and death situation and asking if the corporate office really wanted to be the cause of a man’s death.

HPD officers scanned the videos from the four stores along the road. Most people featured were tourists picking up sunscreen or souvenirs.

“Hey Detective!”

“Yeah. What have you got,” Katsumoto said.

“Look at this. Does that look like Simmons?”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” another officer said. “I shop in the ABC stores all the time.”

“It might not be anything, but it’s all we’ve got right now,” Katsumoto said. Instead of using the radio, he called Rick’s cell. 

“Katsumoto.”

“Rick. This is very important. Is there a bomb squad tech there named Simmons?”

“Yeah. He just came over to see how Thomas was doing. Why?”

“I’m not sure. Just keep an eye on him. I’m on my way back.”

The bomb’s timer read 9 minutes by the time Katsumoto made it back. Higgins was finally out of the traffic jam and racing downtown. “Rick! What’s going on?”

“We’re not sure. Katsumoto has the bomb tech guy handcuffed.”

“Does he have the code?”

“Maybe?”

Higgins could hear Katsumoto yelling in the background about brotherhood and a fellow Navy Seal.

“He has the code!” Rick yelled suddenly.

Higgins felt relief course through her body.

“Katsumoto is typing it in.”

Then Rick turned away from the phone and Higgins had to strain to hear what he was saying.

“Why isn’t it working? Why is the timer still going?” Rick said.

“No!” Juliet yelled. She jammed the car into park and ran toward the building. Officers refused to let her past the roadblock.

“Rick! What’s happening.”

“Oh my God!” he said. “It worked! It just stopped. The bomb squad is moving in to get the vest off of Thomas.”

Juliet sank to the ground. She let the tears flow freely. Then T.C. was by her side and he was lifting her up and hugging her. He practically carried her toward the building. T.C. clapped Thomas on the back and hugged Rick. Higgins wrapped her arms around Thomas, not caring that he could see her crying.

“It’s OK Higgy. I’m OK,” Thomas whispered into her hair, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “I’m not going anywhere thanks to you."

And that just made her cry harder.

She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that. Finally, a paramedic came over and said they were taking Thomas to King’s Medical Center to be checked out. They thought he may have been drugged, plus his ribs were at least bruised from the car accident. 

Higgins realized that she was still holding Thomas’ hand and had been the whole time he talked to the paramedics.

“Your wife can come with us,” the one paramedic said as he pointed Thomas toward the rescue squad. Thomas looked over at Juliet who nodded. He squeezed her hand and they walked to the squad.

It was hours later and Thomas had been poked and prodded and hooked up to an I.V. for fluids. While he did have signs of a drug in his bloodstream, the trace amount wasn’t anything to be concerned about. He was simply dehydrated and they wanted to monitor his vitals overnight. Juliet had gone to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee when she ran into Ethan on her way back.

“I heard Thomas came in. Is he OK?” Ethan asked.

“He’s going to be fine,” she said, and then paused looking over at him. “Look Ethan.”

“No. You don’t have to say anything. I knew there was something more between you and Thomas. I think I may have known how serious it was before the two of you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. My motto is that if you are lucky enough to find a love as pure as what is between you and Thomas, you should hold onto it with everything you have. Goodbye Juliet.”

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“Goodbye Ethan.”

When she got back to Thomas’ room, she found Katsumoto there talking to him.

“Good work today Higgins.”

She smiled and shifted closer to Thomas who reached out for her hand.

“I’m glad you’re OK Thomas," Katsumoto said. "but I’m afraid that Simmons didn’t act alone.”

“I had that same thought,” Thomas said.

“I’m going to let you get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow."

When the door closed, Higgins sat in the chair next to the bed. Thomas yawned and settled back against the pillows.

"You need to sleep Thomas," she said, brushing his hair back from his forehead.

"Will you stay?" he asked, lacing his fingers through hers.

“I'm not going anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who helped Simmons and why did he try to kill Thomas? Also, I'm pretty sure Rick wouldn't have been allowed to stay with Thomas right before the bomb went off, but hey, it's fiction.


	3. Time keeps moving on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simmons isn't saying who his accomplice is.

“What’s wrong buddy?” Rick asked coming over to Thomas. “Would a friend of the owner beer help?”

“No,” Thomas said looking up. “Thanks though.”

More customers came up to the bar and Rick went back to help them. “I’ll be right back T.M.”

Thomas was still searching through the stack of papers he had with him when T.C. came in.

“How long’s he been here,” T.C. asked.

“Maybe an hour? He didn’t even accept a friend of the owner beer.”

“That’s bad,” T.C. said, and then walked over to the booth Thomas was sitting in. “Hey Thomas.”

“T.C.”

“What are you working on?”

“I’m just going through some old cases. I’m just trying to figure out who was helping Simmons.”

“Where’s Higgy?”

“Probably avoiding me.”

“What?”

“Nothing. She’s probably with Ethan. You know T.C., I thought that maybe she and I … I don’t’ know. She was just so upset with the bomb. I thought maybe we had turned a corner.”

“I think you did. And why do you think she’s with Ethan? They broke up.”

Thomas was stunned and he stared at T.C. for almost a full minute.

“What? When?”

“The night you were in the hospital.”

“How do you know?”

“I happened to run into them when she was telling him. She told me later that it was just time and she didn’t feel the way she should about Ethan.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“First of all. Not my place. Second of all, I thought she told you.”

Thomas sat there thinking. Well, that certainly changed things. Although it didn’t explain why she was avoiding him.

“There she is. You can ask her yourself. Hey Higgy. Need anything from the bar?”

“No. Thanks T.C.”

Thomas looked up and studied her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’ve been going through more files.”

“I just can’t seem to figure out who helped Simmons.”

“Maybe Katsumoto will find something.”

The case involving Simmons was actually from a few years ago. Simmons had been dating a woman he met online. When the woman broke things off, Simmons followed her home, showed up at her workplace and sent her threatening notes. She hired Thomas to keep track of Simmons and to look into his past. She wanted to see if he had stalked anyone else. Thomas couldn’t find anyone willing to come forward. They were all too afraid of Simmons. When Simmons backed off, the woman dropped the charges against him and the whole incident was basically swept under the rug.

“I’m pretty sure the woman eventually moved to Los Angeles,” Thomas said.

“Well, behavior always has consequences,” Higgins said. “Simmons was passed over for a promotion because of that case. Even though he was never found guilty, it still haunted him. He was really angry with you.”

“I just can’t figure out who would help him.”

“Let me do a little digging into the woman he was dating,” Higgins said. “I’m just curious about what she’s doing now.”

“Thanks Higgy.”

She smiled at him. A genuine smile. And he smiled back.

Later that night, Higgins knocked on his door.

“Higgy.”

“I found something out about Sherry Baker, the woman Simmons was stalking. Can I come in?”

“Sure, would you like a beer?”

“I’ll just have some water. It’s late and I’m tired. Sherry Baker did indeed more to California. She died six months later.”

“What?”

“It was ruled an accident. She drove off a cliff. I’m thinking it warrants more looking into. What do you say to a short trip to the mainland?”

The thought of spending time with just Higgins had him grinning.

“Why are you smiling,” she asked suspiciously.

“A little trip is exactly what I need.”

“You realize this isn’t a vacation, right?”

He smiled again and Higgins rolled her eyes.

“When do we leave?”

They flew to California the following week. Sherry’s sister lived near San Diego so they ended up starting their investigation with her.

“We’re so sorry for your loss,” Thomas said. “We didn’t want to bother you, but we’re looking into your sister’s death.”

“Finally. Someone is taking this seriously,” Shelby said. “I have been hounding the detective in charge of the case for months. He tried to convince me that my sister killed herself. But she didn’t!”

“I mean no disrespect,” Higgins said, “but how are you so sure?”

“Sherry was the strongest person I know. After that douchebag Simmons stalked her, Sherry was determined that no one else should have to go through what she did. She was a counselor and started a support group for women, and men, who had similar experiences. She loved her group. She would help them any time, any place if they needed her. That’s where she was going the night of the accident.”

“I know this is hard to talk about, but could you tell us about that night?” Thomas asked.

Shelby explained that she and Sherry had met for dinner the night before. Sherry was full of ideas and plans for her new condo. Shelby had promised to drive up the following weekend to see it.

“She told me about Matt, one of the newer members in the group. She couldn’t give me any details, but just said he was taking his breakup particularly hard. I think it was Matt she was meeting that night.”

“Any idea what Matt’s last name is?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know. Here’s the name of the clinic she worked at. Maybe they can help you.”

They thanked Shelby for her time and promised to keep her in the loop. She hugged them both. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you looking into this. My sister was an amazing person."

As they drove to the hotel, they talked about possible plans.

“I think you should join the support group,” Thomas said.

“Me? What about you?”

“I didn’t just break up with someone.”

“What? How did you find out about that? Not that it’s any of your business!”

He didn’t respond. He let out a breath and focused on driving for several minutes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked finally.

She looked over at him. “I don’t know. There didn’t seem like a good time. You were hurt and I was focused on you getting home.”

“I’m fine Higgy.”

Just as Higgins said, “I know you are,” a car raced up next to them and tried to force them off the road.

“Bloody hell!”

Thomas gunned the engine and raced ahead. They were able to shake off the car when they wove into traffic close to Los Angeles.

“I guess that means we’re on the right track,” he said.

“Someone definitely doesn’t like us looking into this.”

“That’s never stopped us before,” Thomas said grinning.


	4. Time for a break in the case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Higgins joins the support group and admits something to Thomas.

Magnum and Higgins spent the next two days following Sherry’s movement her final last week. There was no sign of the car that tried to force them off the road. They searched Sherry’s new condo and visited the clinic where she worked. Her boss was extremely helpful.

“I didn’t know Sherry long, but we clicked right away. It was devastating to lose her.”

“Did she ever talk about her time in Hawaii.”

“Not really. I knew a little about the stalking incident, but didn’t pry. I told her at one point that if she ever needed to talk, I was here.”

“Sherry’s sister doesn’t seem to think that Sherry would commit suicide,” Higgins said.

“Neither do I,” her boss said emphatically. “She was very passionate about helping people. She always said that when it seemed like there was nowhere to turn, another door opened. She never would have given up on herself!”

“Thank you for your help,” Thomas said.

As they walked back to the car, Higgins said, “You didn’t mention that I would be joining the support group.”

“I think it might be better not to say anything. I didn’t want to put her in an awkward position. You know, patient confidentiality.”

Higgins nodded. “You’re probably right.”

That evening Magnum dropped her off a block from the Community Center where Sherry’s support group met. 

“I’ll pick you up at that Café we just passed in about an hour,” Thomas said. “Make sure you get in touch with your feelings.”

Higgins smirked.

There were seven people who attended the session and from what they had learned earlier, the group ranged from five to 15 on any given night.

“Welcome,” said Tina, Sherry’s replacement. “We’re so glad you are here.”

Higgins introduced herself and then listened as the others talked. About a half hour into the session, Tina turned to Juliet and asked if she felt like sharing anything.

“Sure. Like I said, my name is Juliet. My fiancée died about five years ago and I was devastated.”

She waited while members of the group said how sorry they were.

“It took a while for me to date again and obviously I’m out of practice because I picked the absolute worse person.”

Tina cut in. “Now Juliet, none of this is your fault. Remember that.”

“Thank you,” Juliet said. “Anyway I started dating … um Ethan …” She said a quick apology in her mind to the real Ethan who was nothing like the person she was going to describe. “He was very controlling and didn’t like that my best friend was another man. It, uh, ended badly.”

“You are safe now,” Tina said. “Is Ethan completely out of your life?”

Higgins could answer this truthfully. “Yes he is, but my friend is still in my life and is the only reason I got through this.”

“Friends are very important,” Tina said. “Can we have a round of applause for our new friend Juliet?”

Everyone clapped and Juliet smiled awkwardly.

“That’s all the time we have for tonight. I hope I’ll see you all at our meeting next week.”

Juliet thanked Tina and headed to the door.

“Hey, I’m sorry about your experience,” said one man from the group. “My name’s Matt, by the way.”

“Hi Matt. Juliet. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Oh how kind of you. I have plans tonight, but could I get a rain check?”

“Sure, no problem,” Matt said. “Give me your number and I’ll text you.”

Higgins found Magnum parked behind the Café.

“How did it go? Are you all at peace with yourself?”

“Next time, you’re going to the support group,” Higgins said. “I did meet Matt, though. He was very forward and gave me his number after he asked me out for drinks.”

“Good job Higgy. When are you meeting your new beau?”

She shoved him in the arm. “He’s going to text me. Let’s go back to the hotel. I’m starving and exhausted at the same time.”

By the time they got back, Matt had already texted her twice.

“What’s with this guy? He’s already annoying me.”

Thomas grinned.

They kept the door between their adjoining rooms open all day. And now, even though they weren’t in the same bed, or even the same room, the whole situation felt intimate.

“Higgy? Are you still awake?”

He heard her stifle a yawn. “Yes.”

“Are you sure,” he asked, chuckling.

“I’m sure. But probably not for long.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you break up with Ethan?”

She didn’t say anything and for a minute Thomas thought she would ignore his question.

“The bomb scared me,” she said finally. 

“It scared me too.”

He heard her shift in the other room. 

“The thought of not having you in my life, even when you drive me completely crazy, was terrifying,” she said softly.

“You can’t imagine your life without me?” Thomas said.

She laughed out loud. “Something like that.”

“Is this where I say, ‘jolly good?’”

“Good night Thomas!”

“Good night Juliet. Try not to dream about me.”


	5. Time stands still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Higgins agrees to drinks with Matt hoping to find something that will lead them to Simmons' accomplice.

After another support group session, Juliet agreed to meet Matt out for drinks.

“I’ll try to find out why Sherry was meeting him the night she died.”

“Good. Right now he is our only lead,” Thomas said.

Juliet and Matt agreed to meet at a bar not far from her hotel. Thomas went early and found a spot where he could keep an eye on the whole room. And Higgins. He had plenty of time to think while he waited. He realized he pretty much hated every idea that involved Higgins with another man. Even if it was only for a case. He took a sip of his beer. Ever since the bomb, and honestly even before that, he was struggling with his feelings for his partner. Of course he tried to hide those feelings while she was with Ethan, but he’s pretty sure she saw right through that. 

She was amazing. How had he not realized that sooner? Oh sure. She could kick his ass and stop a glacier from melting with her glare, but that spark he discovered in her eyes was new. It only appeared when he was driving her crazy or had said something profound that surprised her. He really like doing that and liked when she studied him thoughtfully like he was smarter than she gave him credit for. And truly, when that bomb was strapped to him, all he could think about was her and how much he wanted a future with her. 

He shook himself out of his reverie and watched as they come in. Matt held the door for her and she was smiling. Oh boy. Time to rein in those feelings. Juliet led Matt to a table near Thomas. When Matt wasn’t looking, she smiled over at him. They ordered drinks and talked.

“How long have you lived in Los Angeles?” he asked.

“Oh. I don’t. I’m just here temporarily for work. I live in Hawaii.”

“Really. I’ve got a buddy in Hawaii. Oahu.”

“That’s where I am,” she said. “What does your friend do?”

“He’s in law enforcement.”

“A noble profession.”

She paused and took a tiny sip of her drink. “I must confess. I haven’t really gone out much since my last awful experience.”

“Me neither.”

“The support group seems really nice. My friend here in LA recommended it. She knew Sherry who used to run the group and said she was fantastic. It was tragic what happened with the accident.”

“Sherry was nice,” Matt said.

“Do you know her well?”

“Not really. Just from the group.”

“My friend said Sherry was going to help someone one-on-one the night of the accident,” she paused for a second to see Matt’s reaction. It was barely there, but she caught the subtle shift in his eyes. 

“I don’t know anything about that.”

Higgins shrugged. “I guess she really was dedicated to her job.” And then to change the direction of the conversation, she said, “tell me about yourself.”

“I’m a firefighter,” he said.

“Wow. That’s really dangerous.”

“It can be. I’m training for the bomb squad.”

Higgins didn’t react, but that news could be the piece of the puzzle they were looking for.

“Really. Is the training hard?”

Matt went on to talk about himself and how only the elite are chosen for the team and how eventually he’d like to move somewhere. Maybe even Oahu where his buddy was.

Suddenly a fight broke out in the bar. A local softball team beat a rival and the losers weren’t taking it well. Two players slammed into Juliet knocking her to the ground. Suddenly Thomas was there, pulling them off of her and the players turned on him. He fought them off and a couple other players pulled the two men away from Thomas. Thomas quickly turned around to look for Higgins, but she was already following Matt to the door.

He flexed his bruised hand and headed back to the hotel.

“Thomas!” Higgins burst through his door. He was rinsing his hand in the sink.

“How did you get rid of Matt?”

“I just told him I was tired. Let me see your hand.”

She ran more warm water in the sink and carefully cleaned off his knuckles.

“I’m fine Higgy.”

“I know you are.”

And she did know that. It was just that ever since seeing him with a bomb strapped to his chest, she had this insane need to touch him. To reassure herself that he was OK. She sucked in a shaky breath and Thomas looked over at her.

“Ethan is perfect,” she said. “He’s attractive and kind and a doctor.”

“Okay.”

“And the sex was really good.”

Thomas rolled his eyes. “I really don’t need any details.”

Higgins looked down at the hand she was still holding.

“He took me to La Mer.”

“If he’s so great, why did you break up with him.”

“Because I didn’t like La Mer. I mean I did. I loved it. I just prefer pancakes.”

He smiled then because pancakes were his thing and that had to be a good sign, right? “Are you OK?” he asked, still not entirely sure how to respond to this Higgy.

“Yes. No.”

She let go of his hand, threw a towel at him and walked out of the bathroom.

He followed her out and through the adjoining door into her room. 

She glared at him. “Every time I tried to picture a future with Ethan, I couldn’t. I could only see you.”

Thomas grinned at her which only aggravated her.

“I’m going to bed,” she said.

Thomas walked over and pulled her into his arms. Surprised, she stiffened before she relaxed against him, feeling his heart beating steady and strong.

He kissed her on the top of the head. "I'll see you in the morning."

He walked back into his room. Something was bugging him. Something he wanted to tell her about, but couldn't remember.

“Wait Higgy. I need to tell you something," he said, popping back into her room.

“What?”

“I swear I saw someone who looked like Simmons at the bar tonight. Right before the fight. In fact, he may have been the person who started the fight.”

“But we searched Simmons' background. He didn’t have any siblings.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t a sibling. Maybe a cousin or I don’t know.”

“OK. We can do some more digging. I almost forgot too in all of the craziness after the fight.”

She walked over to the desk to grab her purse. Thomas watched her pull out a glass wrapped in a napkin. “Matt’s fingerprints,” she said, looking especially pleased with herself.

“Way to go Higgy! How the heck did you manage to get that? That should definitely tell us a little more about our friend Matt.”

They decided to run the prints in the morning, talked for a few more minutes and then headed to bed.

Thomas was just drifting off to sleep when he sensed her looking at him. He could see her silhouetted in the doorway. He sat up and raised the edge of the blankets and she walked over to his bed and then climbed in next to him. Neither of them spoke. He gathered her close and she rested her head on his chest. He held her against him as she drifted off to sleep. He was certain he had never felt this way about anyone in his life before. Smiling, he closed his eyes, excited for the new day.

It was hours later when they both woke up to someone trying to break into Thomas’ room.


	6. Time for action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas thinks he's figured out who helped Simmons, but is it too late to save Higgins?

They both woke up at the same time. Thomas tightened his arm around her. Her wide eyes looked into his. They silently slipped out of the bed and each took one side of the door. As soon as the shadowy figure entered the room, Juliet kicked him and brought him to his knees. Thomas shoved him down on his stomach and pulled his hands behind his back. Juliet turned the lights on and Thomas yanked him to his feet.

“Do you want to tell us what you’re doing breaking into my room,” Thomas asked.

The man was young, maybe his early 20s. He wore a hoodie and jeans slung low on his hips. He ignored them. 

“That’s fine,” Higgins said. “I’m sure you will be much more comfortable in jail for attempted murder.”

“Murder? I didn’t attempt no murder.”

“Your word against mine and since you were breaking in my hotel room, it really doesn’t look good for you.”

The man stared at her. “Fine. Some guy offered me $1,000 to scare a woman,” he stopped and glared at Juliet. “I mean, how hard is it to scare a woman?”

“You tell me,” Thomas said, giving Juliet a small smile. “You definitely picked the wrong woman to mess with and actually you really underestimate all women. How did you meet this guy? Can you describe him?”

“No man. It was all through the internet. I follow this website and he posted a job. It was $500 up front and $500 when the job was done.”

“What was the website?”

“It’s called Men Are Genius in Totalitarianism. It’s for people who believe in the simple way of life. Like when the man works and the woman stays home,” he said, glaring over at Juliet again.

She snorted. “The group is called Magit? As in Maggot?” she said. “Quite apropos. Do you actually understand what those big words mean?”

Thomas rolled his eyes telling her that there was no way this punk actually knew what totalitarianism meant or even genius for that matter.

“How did you get the money?” Thomas asked.

“I picked it up at the bus station in a locker. There was a cell phone too and all her room information,” he said nodding toward Juliet.

“Do you know anyone named Matt or Mike Simmons?” Thomas asked.

“I told you. I don’t know any names. I just found this job on the website.”

Hotel security knocked on Thomas’ door.

When he answered, the security guard explained that another hotel guest had reported a fight.

“No fight,” Thomas said, opening the door wider. “Just this guy breaking into my room.”

The security guard took the man downstairs to wait for the police.

It was past 3 a.m. at this point, but both Thomas and Juliet were too wound up to sleep.

It was slightly past was midnight in Hawaii, but they called Katsumoto anyway. Now they were determined to solve the case and get home.

Higgins scanned the prints from the glass and sent them to Katsumoto.

While Thomas and Gordon talked, she searched the web for signs of a cousin or distant relative of Simmons’. 

Thomas rubbed his hand over his face. He was tired. 

“Thanks Gordy. Let us know what you find out.”

He hung up and walked over to the bed suddenly exhausted.

“Gordon’s going to try to get us the police report from Sherry’s accident and he’s going to run those prints too.” Thomas yawned.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward him. “I’m really tired. Let’s just sleep for a couple hours.”

She stood still for a moment next to the bed. “C’mon Higgy. I sleep better when you’re with me.”

“You know that after three hours of sleep together?”

He looked at her and she almost drowned in the emotion she saw in his beautiful eyes.

“Yes,” he said.

She climbed into the bed and tucked herself against him. He fell asleep immediately so he didn’t hear her whisper. “Me too.”

The next morning, Higgins found the piece of information they were looking for. Simmons did have a cousin around his age on his dad’s side. Raymond McCrae was 25, lived outside of L.A. and was a firefighter like his cousin.

“Maybe he knows Matt,” Higgins said.

Thomas frowned. “But how does all of this fit together?”

“I think Sherry is the key. It has to have something to do with Simmons’ bruised ego when Sherry rejected him. You heard that dumbass last night. That Maggot group values the power of men and meek women. It makes me sick.”

Thomas grinned at her.

“What?”

“Nothing little lady.”

She glared at him and shoved his arm. He just smiled.

They agreed that Higgins would text Matt and ask him to meet for lunch. She would try to find out if he knew about the break in or if he knew Raymond McCrae.

While she was at lunch, Thomas got the police report from Katsumoto. A witness had seen a black sedan in the area of the accident. The witness stopped to help Sherry, but the sedan did not. And it had been a black sedan that had chased them when they first arrived in L.A. To make matters worse, Katsumoto found out Raymond McCrae drove a 2020 black Cadillac sedan. He was also able to give Thomas Matt’s last name too – Wilson.

Thomas immediately texted Higgins to warn her. As he ran out of the hotel toward the café where she was having lunch with Matt, he called Katsumoto.

“Gordy! Can your LAPD contact tell you if Raymond McCrae knows Matt Wilson? They may work together. Or they could have met through that MAGIT website.”

“I’ll check and call you right back.”

Thomas reached the café, but there was no sign of Higgins. He looked down at his phone. She hadn’t texted him back after he sent the warning. 

“Shit. Where are you Higgins?”


	7. Time for action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The case is blown wide open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I take a lot of liberties with the bomb. I would want things to go this way.

Thomas looked around the restaurant. He pulled up a picture of Higgins on his phone and showed it to the hostess. “Did you see this woman here? She was meeting a guy for lunch.”

“Sorry. We were really busy so I had to help at the bar. I missed a lot of the people who came in.”

Thomas felt a pit of dread settle in his stomach. He glanced at the picture on his phone. She was everything to him.

“Hey,” said a waitress. “Can I see the photo?”

Thomas showed her.

“I saw her. She was sitting with a guy at that booth,” she said, pointing to the rear of the restaurant. “I remember them because I thought he was a jerk. He got a call and then yanked her up and said they had to go.”

Thomas took a deep breath. “Did you see which way they went when they left? Or what kind of car they were driving?”

“Someone picked them up. Right in front of the restaurant. It was a dark car,” she said before he could ask. “Four doors because the guy from the restaurant opened the back door for her and kind of shoved her in. I’m really sorry I didn’t call the police. I didn’t realize what was going on.”

“It’s OK,” Thomas said. “The police are on their way here. Can you tell them everything you told me?”

Luckily there were plenty of cameras on the block the restaurant was on and the police were quickly able to get a license plate number on the sedan. Thomas already knew who it belonged to.

Juliet was cold. She was locked in a basement and tied to a chair. She never would have let Matt get the upper hand, but there had been a child in the booth next to them. The little girl had dark brown eyes and wavy brown hair. She could have been Thomas’ daughter. Matt had grabbed her hand and whispered that the girl was dead if Juliet made any sudden moves. So she didn’t. She followed him out and was forced into the black sedan As soon as they were around the block, they made her put a blindfold on, cuffed her hands and made her lie down on the seat.

They had driven in circles for a while and then ended up at a place on the water. She could smell the ocean when they dragged her out of the car. She had been in the basement for at least an hour. She thought about Thomas. She thought about how much she actually loved him which brought an ache to her heart. Sleeping next to him was, well she couldn’t actually find words for that. It just felt right. She felt cherished and safe with his arm around her. God, she couldn’t lose that now. Just when things were beginning. She shook herself. She needed to figure a way out of here.

Thomas missed his friends. He missed Katsumoto. He felt so alone here. And scared. And he really didn’t like feeling like that. He needed Higgins.

His phone beeped. It was Katsumoto Facetiming him.

“Gordy.”

“My LAPD contact said they picked up the car on traffic cams, but lost it on the 101.”

Thomas took a deep breath. “Do Ray or Matt own any property in the area?”

“Not that they could find. They both have apartments, but no one was home when LAPD checked.”

Thomas rubbed a hand over his face. He had to think.

“Sherry’s condo,” he said suddenly.

“What?”

“Sherry, the woman Simmons stalked, had a condo in that direction. Higgins and I checked it out when we first got here.”

“OK. I’ll tell LAPD. Hey, Det. Price is a good guy. I met him a few years ago at a conference. Now go get your girl.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“Whatever.”

Thomas was right, they had taken Higgins to Sherry’s condo.

They put bomb vest on her, but didn’t understand bombs the way Simmons had and it hung loosely off of her shoulders.

“Your boyfriend is really going to wish he hadn’t screwed my brother over,” Ray said.

“Your brother screwed himself over.”

“Shut up bitch or I might just kill you now.”

“Come on man. That’s not the plan,” Matt said, pulling Ray away from Higgins. Higgins glared at both of them. “We just need to be patient.”

Matt walked upstairs and gestured for Ray to follow him.

The basement door slammed after Ray stormed up the stairs. Higgins was glad to be alone again. She closed her eyes and tried to talk to Thomas. She knew he was smart and she knew he would find her.

Ray and Matt were easily arrested. They had been cocky figuring that no one would tie them to Sherry’s apartment.

Once LAPD cleared the house, Thomas ran toward Higgins.

“Higgy.”

“Thomas! You can’t be in here.”

“I’m not going anywhere. The bomb squad is 10 minutes out.”

“This is so unstable. Ray had no idea what he was doing.”

She stared at him. Willing him to leave, to save himself. “You have to go,” she whispered.

“Shhhh. I told you. I’m not going anywhere.” He gently took her hand without jostling the wires. He squeezed it while he looked over the vest. “It doesn’t look like it’s too tight.”

“It’s not. He left it like this. I think I could wiggle out of it, if I wasn’t afraid to jar something.”

“There’s a timer on the side,” Thomas said.

“Thomas …”

“No. You are not telling me to leave again!”

“But”

“No. We’re in this together. You remember our motto? Ride or Die ...”

She gave him a small smile. “I don’t think I ever agreed to that motto.”

He squeezed her hand again, bending down to press a kiss to it.

She looked down and when she looked back at him her eyes had filled with tears.

“Higgins …”

Suddenly the timer clicked on. The blinking red lights already counting down from four minutes.

“Thomas?”

“It’s OK. It’s OK.” He looked frantically around for the bomb squad, but saw no one. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

“No! You need to go!”

“Higgins,” he grabbed both of her hands and squeezed. “Listen to me. We’re both getting out of here.”

She focused her panicked eyes on his. “OK.”

“That’s my girl. Raise your hands up in the air. Slowly.”

She raised them up and he carefully grabbed ahold of the vest at her shoulders, lifting it up until it was over her head. She ducked down and pulled her arms out. He carefully laid the vest on the ground and then grabbed her hand and sprinted toward the door, pulling her behind him. They made it up the stairs and just out the back door when the bomb exploded. The force of the blast threw them across the yard. They landed 10 feet apart and both didn’t move for a few seconds. Ears ringing, Thomas crawled toward Juliet. He framed her face with his hands.

“Juliet!”

A piece of wood from the explosion had hit her just above her left eye. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused.

“Hey. It’s OK. You’re OK.” His voice was rough and gravelly with emotion.

She slowly looked around. Finally, her eyes focused a bit on him.

“Hey there. I think I hear the sirens. We’re going to get someone to look at that bump.”

She gripped his arm.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

The bomb squad finally showed up and the paramedics gently put Higgins on a stretcher to do a preliminary exam.

“Mr.?”

“Magnum. Actually just call me Thomas.”

“OK Thomas. Your, uh …”

“Partner. She’s my partner.”

But the paramedic noticed how Thomas said partner and how his eyes softened when he looked over at Juliet.

“You can ride with us.”

“Thank you,” Thomas said relieved.

He called T.C. while Juliet was having bloodwork done.

“T.M.! I heard the good news. Is she OK?”

“They’re running some tests, but just as a precaution the doctor said. She has a slight concussion.”

“You OK man?”

“I will be when we get home.”

“You know this wasn’t your fault, right?”

“I know.”

T.C. wasn’t convinced, but he let it slide for the moment. He knew Thomas was working through a whole host of emotions where their Higgy was concerned.

“You tell Higgy that we love her. We’ll pick you up from the airport.”

“Thanks man.”

He had fallen asleep in the chair next to her bed. His feet were propped up and she was sure he would be in pain tomorrow from the awkward position. A random curl hung down over his forehead and she stopped herself from brushing it back. Instead, she reached for his hand. It grounded her and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, while waiting for the doctor to give her the all clear, Det. Price stopped by. 

"I just wanted to stop by and see how you are doing,” he said to Higgins.

“I’m much better, thank you.”

“Thanks to all of your work, we were able to crack the case wide open.”

“We really didn’t do that much,” Thomas said. “We just wanted to get some closure for Sherry’s sister.”

“Well you definitely did that and more.”

He explained how the MAGIT website had included a bounty section. Members posted pictures of people they had felt wronged them. A bounty was put on their head. Thomas' picture was on the page.

“From what we’ve learned from some former members of the group, it all started out as a game, but at some point it turned serious. We’ve already found two other instances of people murdered.”

“Oh my gosh,” Higgins said.

“The site has been disabled and we’re going to follow this through until the end,” Rob said.

“I’m sure the family members will be very grateful,” Higgins said.

“Well, it was very nice meeting the both you,” Rob said. “Let me know if you’re ever back in town.”

“We will,” Thomas said.

As Rob walked out, Thomas looked over at Higgins. “What do you say, are you ready to go home?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a bit more to the story.


	8. Time to look to the future.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life settles into a new normal.

Thomas had packed up their clothes and checked out of the hotel while Higgins was waiting to be released from the hospital. 

He was so excited to be going home that he almost didn’t hear Higgins’ doctor asking her out.

“Seriously? What is it with this woman and doctors?!”

Before he barged into the room, though, he heard Higgins telling the doctor that there was no way in hell that she would ever go out with him.

Her English accent softened the blow and it actually came out more like, “I’m truly flattered,” she said. “I’m sure you’re a very nice guy, but I have this friend who I care about a lot. And I think we could be more than friends and I really don’t want to mess that up.”

Thomas stood stunned in the hallway. He had hoped that things were heading this way, but he was never sure with Higgins. He breathed in to steady himself before going in her room.

6 months later

Thomas had returned to L.A. to testify against Ray and Matt. He had been in town for two weeks already and missed Higgins. When they first got home from L.A., they had decided to take things slowly since she had just broken up with Ethan. Slow was fine with him. It still meant that he was the one she had dinner with, told about her day, confessed her frustrations. And it was for him that she smiled that special smile that made his stomach flip over. Just recently, things had turned more serious.

As he climbed the steps to the Courthouse, he swore he could smell her shampoo and shook his head to clear it. One more afternoon of testimony and then he was headed home. He had talked to Higgins earlier in the day and they agreed to meet at La Mariana.

The trip hadn't been a total waste. Not only did he think Matt and Ray would be facing some real jail time, but he had spent a little time shopping. Normally he hated shopping, but this time, he had something important to look for. He planned to ask Higgins to marry him and needed the perfect ring.

Katsumoto’s friend had pointed him toward a local artisan. Thomas found what he was looking for. The ring was beautiful, and simply elegant. The same way he would describe Higgins.

He smiled as he patted his pocket to make sure the ring was still there. Finally, they were done. He shook hands with the prosecutor, thanked Detective Pierce and jumped in an Uber to the airport.

“Hey,” Higgins said. “Is it over?”

Thomas let out the breath he was holding. Hearing her voice always made him breathe easier. “Hey. Yeah. I’m headed to the airport.”

“Oh good. Shammy is helping me with that cheating husband case. I’ll have to meet you at La Mariana. Can you get an Uber?”

“Sure. Juliet …”

“Yes?”

“Just, be careful.”

“I will Thomas,” she said. And then she paused before adding, “I really missed you.”

“Me too.” He hung up his phone and headed to his gate. The last time he had flown home, Higgins had just been released from the hospital. She had been so tired and he was so worried about her. She had fallen asleep against him as soon as they boarded. He had gathered her as close as the seats would allow and had brushed his lips gently across the bruise at her temple.

He shook those thoughts aside. She was safe and healthy and he would see her in six-ish hours. 

Of course, things never went as planned. Thomas found T.C. and Rick at La Mariana, but no Higgins. She had texted to say that they were just wrapping things up and she would have to meet him at home instead. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see T.C. and Rick, he had just missed Higgins so much that he couldn’t stand to be away from her another minute. He quickly finished his beer and threw some money down on the table. “I’ll see you guys this weekend,” he said.

Rick laughed. “What? You’re actually paying? And you’re running off?” 

Rick turned to T.C. “What could be more important than hanging out with his best friends?”

T.C. smiled as Thomas rolled his eyes at them and hurried out the door. “Our boy has it bad. And after seeing our girl mope around here the past two weeks, I’d say she has it just as bad.”

The Uber dropped Thomas at the gate and he walked up the driveway. He patted his pocket again to make sure the ring was still there. How could it not be. He checked on it every two minutes. He found her out back. When she heard him, she ran toward him. She was covered in mud and had tears in her eyes.

“Are you OK?” he asked grabbing her hands and looking her up and down.

“I just wanted everything to be perfect,” she said and sniffed, which Thomas found adorable. “The case was more complicated than it should have been and I fell in a muddy puddle when I tackled the suspect. Then Shammy refused to let me into his car until I had dried off.”

Thomas started pulling her toward him. “He wouldn’t? Wait until I talk to him.”

That elicited a small smile.

When she was firmly against his chest, she looked up at him. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest, closing her eyes. She breathed him in and felt all her irritation drift away. He was home and safe.

He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s not do that again.”

“What? Partner with Shammy? I agree.”

“No, smart aleck, spend two weeks apart.”

“Agreed.”

He tucked her arm under his and started walking toward the beach. When they reached the cove, he turned toward her and reached into his pocket. Her eyes widened when he pulled out the box. Suddenly he was down on one knee in front of her.

“Higgy. You’re my best friend. You know me better than anyone, even the guys.” She grinned at that. “I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be the man you deserve.”

She framed his face with her hands and kissed him. “You are already more than I deserve.”

He kissed her again quickly. “Will you marry me Juliet?”

“Yes!” And then he was putting the most glorious ring on her finger.

Later that night, as she sat in his bed, she pulled off the platinum band and studied it. It was an exquisite ring. She squinted when she noticed a tiny inscription on the inside. She looked over at the bathroom door. Thomas hadn’t said anything about it. The inscription read, “To my Higgy. Love always, Your Thomas.”

Her eyes watered as she clutched the precious ring in her hand. She hadn’t heard Thomas come out of the bathroom. “Higgy? What's wrong?”

She smiled up at him, showing him the ring and he knew she had found the inscription.

“Nothing," she said. "Everything is perfect.”


End file.
